Akira woke in his bed, bandages wrapped tight across one eye. His body pulsed with dull aches, the rhythm of bruises and strain.I've learned to use Tao—to control it, at least a little—but Ito keeps pushing me every day, drilling the same five techniques. He says I've done well… but he never slows down.
He groaned, sitting up. Morning light spilled through the window, cutting across the bandages. The mirror showed a boy who'd changed—leaner, sharper, eyes harder than before. He ran a hand over his face, then dragged himself to the shower. Steam filled the room as hot water scoured away fatigue.I've grown a lot these past days, even if my body feels like it's breaking apart. Still… I'm not the same kid who got crushed by a Yokai.
By the time he stepped out, towel slung around his neck, his thoughts drifted. That girl… Sora. Always watching me. Strong—no doubt about it—but she's strange too. Hard to tell what she's thinking.
The door burst open.
Ito strode in, red ponytail swinging, his eyepatch glinting in the light. "You're up. Good. Get dressed. We're going somewhere."
Akira blinked. "Where?"
Ito didn't answer—only tossed him his jacket and walked out. Moments later, Akira followed, still buttoning his shirt.
They stepped out into the crisp morning air, the Yoru training compound fading behind them as Ito's black car hummed to life. The road stretched endlessly ahead, flanked by tall pines. For once, Ito wasn't talking. The silence pressed heavily.
Finally, Akira spoke. "You've been training me non-stop, and now I have to go do errands too."
Ito's eye shifted toward him briefly before returning to the road. "That's because i want you to be a hunter.?"
Akira frowned. "So that's where we're going."
Akira gets in the car as they drive to the hunter association before stopping at a graveyard
"Why are we stopping?"
Ito stepped out. "Because there's something you need to see."
They walked in silence through the fog until Ito stopped before two weathered graves. The stone markers were old, names half-erased by rain and time—but faint letters remained.
Ayame YamatoRen Yamato
Ito crossed his arms, tone quieter now. "I found records—fragments, mostly. Travelers from Zenith, said to have died in a Yokai attack fifteen years ago. Their graves were moved here under Yoru's jurisdiction."
Akira stepped closer, kneeling before the stones. The silence was sharp, like glass underfoot. His fingers traced the carved letters.
"They aren't my parents."
Ito raised a brow. "You sure?"
Akira stood, his shadow cutting across the graves. "My parents didn't die in some random attack. I don't know how I know that… I just do. These people—" He looked down again, jaw tight. "—they're not them."
Ito's grin flickered sharply. "Alright, i was just making sure."
Hours later, they stopped before the vast gates of the Hunter Association Headquarters. Marble towers reached for the sky, banners of every kingdom fluttering in the Tao-charged air. Aspirants filled the courtyard—each face hungry, nervous, or already broken.
Ito stood tall beside him. "This is it, Akira. The first step."
Akira took a deep breath, eyes burning with resolve. "Then let's start."
They crossed the threshold.
Inside, the grand hall gleamed with lanternlight and expectation. At its center stood a man draped in white robes trimmed with gold, a crimson spiral pinned to his chest. His hair—white streaked with red and blue—gleamed like fire under the chandeliers.
Kenji Sato, Grand General of the Sao Kingdom.
"Welcome, future Hunters!" His voice thundered through the chamber. "I am honored to host this year's Hunter Exams. I hope you survive—in great fashion, if possible. Beyond that…" His grin widened. "…you're on your own."
Then his eyes found Ito. "Ah. Ito Yoru. Didn't think you'd go this far for a stray."
Ito shrugged. "He's stronger than he looks."
Kenji chuckled, gaze sliding toward Akira. "Good. I've brought one of my own this year. Let's see whose student survives longer."
Akira met Kenji's gaze unflinchingly. "I'm not here to survive. I'm here to win."
Kenji's smirk deepened. "Then let the games begin."